Right There, In Black and White
by redrider6612
Summary: Submission for the Booth Express 'secret' challenge.  Angela finds something in Brennan's desk and confronts her friend.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is in response to the Booth Express challenge, 'a secret', and the only rule was it couldn't be B&B confessing their love for each other. So the first part is Angela discovering Brennan's secret. If you're nice and feed musie with some reviews, I will post part two, which is almost done.**

**Right There, In Black and White**

Angela came waltzing into Brennan's office and stopped short. It was empty. She sighed, wondering where her friend might be. She really needed to talk to her about their date. Instead of the movie they were going to see, Angela wanted to check out a new club that was opening. She knew one of the bouncers, so they were definitely going to get in. That called for a wardrobe change. Besides, she knew if she didn't remind Brennan again, she'd try to weasel out by saying she forgot about it. She just didn't know what was good for her. Good thing she had her best friend Angela around to make sure she got out once in awhile.

Angela opened the top drawer of the desk in search of paper and pen to leave her a note. Pulling out a pad of paper, she spotted something interesting. The title page of Brennan's last book had been torn out and folded in four. Angela glanced toward the door before picking it up and opening it. What she read brought a huge grin to her face. Oh…my…God, she thought as excitement rushed through her. Refolding the paper and tucking it into her pocket, she left the office, the note she was going to write forgotten.

_**Later that evening**_

Brennan answered the door in her robe. "You're early," she told Angela as she let her in. Angela dropped her bag on the table by the door.

"I thought you might need help choosing an outfit," Angela said, excitement vibrating in her voice.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of choosing an outfit," she said, leading the way to the bedroom. She stopped in front of the closet.

"I know that, sweetie," Angela said. "Let's just say I'd like to give the outfit my final approval."

Brennan pulled out a pair of black slacks and a scoop-necked burgundy top. "This is what I was going to wear."

Angela looked thoughtful. "Hmmm," she said, turning and rifling through the closet. "Wait a minute, what's this?" she asked in a hushed voice, pulling out a crystal blue v-necked top of a shimmering material. "You've been holding out on me," she accused with a sly smile.

Brennan sighed. Of course Angela would zero in on the flashiest item in her wardrobe. "I was going to take that back. It was an impulse buy, I just loved the material and the color—"

"Goes beautifully with your eyes," Angela finished. "Don't you dare take it back! It's perfect, Bren, you've got to wear it." She held it up against her friend and gasped at the effect. Brennan's eyes became an even more brilliant blue next to the iridescent material.

Another sigh, this time resignation. "Fine. Whatever you say. Now, go on, I want to get dressed."

Angela grinned and left the room, fairly bubbling with excitement. This was going to be so great!

Twenty minutes later, Brennan came out putting her earrings on. Angela's smile was huge as she looked her up and down. "You look stunning!" she exclaimed.

Brennan laughed huskily. She'd never seen Angela so excited. "Thanks. So, what's this about a new club?" she asked, turning to gather her purse and keys. Angela stepped closer to her and shoved a piece of paper in her hand. Brennan frowned as she recognized the title page from her book.

"You were in my desk?" she asked, stunned. She had forgotten all about that note. She had almost thrown it away several times, but somehow she could never make herself do it.

"I came by your office earlier, but you weren't there, so I was going to leave you a note. I opened the drawer to get some paper and found it." Angela's eyes searched Brennan's. "Did you mean what you wrote?" she asked softly.

Brennan glanced down, slowly, gingerly, opening the note. "Yes, at the time—" she said softly, her lips twitching as she read it.

"Are you saying you don't any more?" Angela pressed. Sometimes Brennan had to be pushed to face reality.

"No! I mean, yes…dammit, Ange, it isn't that simple! He's never…he told me once that there was this line that partners can't cross…but I thought we were going to die and I wanted him to know---" she finished on a hoarse whisper.

Angela reached out and squeezed her arm. "So why did you keep it?" she asked gently.

"I'm not sure. I guess to remind me not to give up, no matter how hopeless a situation might seem. I never meant him to see it," she said softly, looking up at Angela with a sheen of tears in her eyes.

Angela sighed. "Hodgins and I are together because you never gave up hope. And because after what happened, after nearly losing him, I knew we'd figure out how to make it work. Life is too short and uncertain to waste on 'if onlys'." She studied her friend, watching her process everything in that damned logical mind of hers. "I think you should show it to him," she urged firmly.

Brennan's eyes flew wide with shock. "No! No way, Ange," she said, stubbornly shaking her head, folding the note and shoving it into her bag.

Frustration made Angela's voice rougher than usual. "Promise me you'll think about it," she demanded.

Brennan almost groaned. She could be so determined at times. "Okay, fine, I'll think about it, but I don't think it's a good idea. What if he doesn't feel…?"

Angela grinned in triumph. "Oh, don't worry, he does. Trust me," she said slyly, linking her arm through Brennan's. "C'mon, let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

_**At the club…**_

Angela pulled on Brennan's hand, headed for an open table she'd spotted. Her gaze kept searching the crowd. She hoped Hodgins hadn't had any trouble. He was supposed to meet them…a huge grin spread over her face as she spotted him next to the bar. He saw them at the same time and tapped the shoulder of the guy with him. Brennan was busy removing her coat and draping it over the back of her chair. She looked up as she sat down, startled when Hodgins came up and dropped a kiss on Angela's upturned mouth. Her heart stopped, then started back up double time as she saw that Booth was with him.

"Hi," she said breathlessly when she finally found her voice. Booth was staring at her with that same look he'd given her in Las Vegas when she had come out in her Roxy dress. She still wasn't quite sure what that look meant.

"Hi," he said, smiling that cocked smile she loved. "You look…amazing, Bones."

She grinned, suddenly glad that she had taken Angela's advice. "Thanks. You look pretty nice yourself," she replied. He was wearing jeans and snug black T-shirt. He looked hot, as Angela would say. She colored a little and looked over at Hodgins. "So, you guys just happened to pick the same club Angela did?" she asked suspiciously. She narrowed her eyes at Angela who wore an innocent look.

"Well, Angela mentioned this great new club was opening and I thought maybe Booth might enjoy a night out—" Hodgins trailed off, realizing how lame he sounded.

"Save it," Brennan said repressively. "I know a setup when I see one." Angela's brows rose and Hodgins chuckled, faintly embarrassed, while Booth wore a puzzled frown. Evidently he wasn't in on it.

A waitress came by and took their orders and an awkward silence fell after she left.

Angela leaned toward Hodgins. "I love this song, babe. Dance with me?" she asked with a smile. And off they went, leaving the partners to find their way through the minefield of their feelings. The drinks arrived and Brennan took a small sip of her wine. Booth watched her over the rim of his glass.

"So, you wanna dance?" he asked abruptly. Her eyes jerked to meet his and he was amused at the deer in the headlight look she wore.

"Uh, we don't have to," she said, trying to give him an out in case he thought he had to dance with her. He wasn't letting her off that easy.

"C'mon," he said, standing up and offering her his hand. She stared at it for a minute. "It's just a dance, Bones, not a proposition," he teased with a soft smile. Her eyes met his and he gave a slight nod of encouragement.

Putting her hand in his, she stood. He was right. It was just a dance. Just two partners having a nice, platonic dance, no romance involved. She kept up the litany as he pulled her along, and she almost had herself convinced by the time he pulled her into his arms on the dance floor. But the dance floor was very crowded and he pulled her close and all the logical things she'd been telling herself evaporated at the feel of his body against hers. She put her hands on his shoulders and tried to ignore what his proximity was doing to her pulse and respiration. She failed miserably.

Booth was glad the dance floor was crowded. It gave him a good excuse to hold her _almost_ as close as he wanted to. His thumb was tracing circles at the small of her back and he glanced down to find her frowning at his jaw.

He leaned in. God, she smelled good. "What's the matter?" he whispered in her ear.

When he pulled back to look her in the eye, he was amused by the dazed look on her face. She blinked at him, obviously having a hard time with her thought processes. "Stop that," she ordered in a weak voice.

Booth's brows rose. "What? This?" he asked, moving his thumb again. She nodded at him mutely, a strange look on her face. "Why? Does it bother you?" he asked huskily. God, I hope so, he thought. Maybe she's not as oblivious as she seems.

"Yes…no," she said huskily, shaking her head. "You're confusing me," she accused him, stiffening in his arms.

Booth suppressed a chuckle. Suddenly the music changed to a fast song and their arms dropped away from each other. "Let's get some air," he said, then took her delicate hand in his and drew her along behind him, heading for the side door. Brennan went along, unwilling to make a scene. Angela caught her eye and grinned from where she was dancing with Hodgins. Brennan rolled her eyes and concentrated on keeping up with her partner.

Once outside, he dragged her over to the far end of the nearly empty patio, stopping at the railing. Brennan took a deep breath and turned her face into the breeze. There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Can I ask you something?" she finally asked after a brief inner battle. He turned his head and raised his brows. "Why…why did you look at me that way?" she asked hesitantly. He looked lost. "When you came up to the table. It was the same look you had in Vegas when I came out in that Roxy dress."

Comprehension dawned and Booth blew out a breath. Here we go. "Oh, you know, Bones, seeing you every day, I tend to forget how…attractive you are, so when I see you wearing something—" he said, gesturing at her outfit.

"Pretty?" she supplied, trying to understand.

Booth turned to lean on the railing. "Well, you always dress nice, its just when you wear something…form fitting that it comes to my attention that you're…" he turned his head to look at her and trailed off at the look on her face.

"Well structured?" she ventured, fascinated by his apparent awkwardness with the subject. Usually when he got like this, it was because she was discussing sex in her blunt manner. Wait a minute, could it be…? she wondered.

He chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that," he said, looking away again. How did he get himself into this?

"Thank you," she said, pleased. Maybe Ange was right, maybe she should show him the note. But what if he didn't…? Her instincts weren't usually very good at reading people, but she knew Booth really well and she had a strong feeling about this. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the note and held it out before she could change her mind. "I realize it's too dark to read this here, you can read it later if you want—" she said, breaking off as he pulled a maglite out of his pocket. She should have known he'd be carrying one. Her heart sank as he opened the note and turned on the light.

"_Booth," _he read aloud, _"I know you did everything you could. It isn't your fault. I just wanted you to know, I love you. Brennan."_

His eyes widened and jerked up to meet her own startled gaze. "When did you write this?" he asked hoarsely.

"Wh-when Hodgins and I were buried," she said with a crack in her voice. He didn't say anything and she rushed on to fill the silence. "We thought we were going to die and I knew you would feel guilty that you hadn't saved us, so I wanted you to know that it wasn't your fault—"

"And that last part? Did you mean it?" he asked, zeroing in on the part that was causing his heart to pound.

"Well, at the time, I thought I'd never see you again—"

"What about now?" he persisted. She stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "How do you feel about me now?"

Her mouth snapped shut and she swallowed thickly. Unable to speak, she just nodded.

"Say it," he said roughly, needing to hear her voice, to know it was real and not just a dream.

"I love you," she whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from his. She waited a long, breathless moment, and then she was in his arms like she had been so many times before. Only this time it was different. This time he held her like a lover.

Pulling back a little, he looked down at her and her breath caught at the warm tenderness in his eyes. She could tell he wanted to kiss her, but he was waiting for her to make the first move. It wasn't too late, to go back, to pull apart and make a joke and return to the easy camaraderie they usually enjoyed. He was leaving it up to her. She thought about what Angela had said, about life being too short to waste on 'if onlys' and she decided she didn't want this to be one of her 'if onlys'. Her tongue came out to wet her lips, then she leaned up the last few inches and kissed him, a mere whisper of a touch, tentative as though uncertain of his response.

Relief crashed through him as he pulled her close and gently deepened the kiss. His pulse kicked up at her faint moan as his tongue sought and was granted entry. Her hands came up around his neck and threaded up into his hair and her tongue swept over his as she pressed closer. Booth nearly lost it right then and there. She felt so good, better than he ever dreamed she would. God, who knew she could kiss like this?

What did this mean to their partnership, how they were going to go on working together, how would everyone react? These and a dozen other questions whirled through her mind but she pushed them all away as the sheer bliss of being in his arms at last washed over her. She shivered a little when they drew apart and blinked up at him, dazed. Damn, he really knew how to kiss.

He was looking pretty dazed too. "Bones?" he murmured.

She smiled faintly. "After a kiss like that, I think you should call me Temperance," she said, only half teasing.

He chuckled. "Awww, c'mon, admit it, you love it when I call you Bones," he coaxed, using his charm smile to full affect.

"I do not, I just got tired of telling you not to call me that. But if we're gonna be…involved, I think you should call me by my given name. And I can call you Seeley," she finished slyly.

"No, you can't," he said firmly. "Only my mother calls me that. And Cam, when she's giving me a hard time. How about a compromise? I'll call you Temperance when we're alone."

"How is that a compromise? You won't let me call you Seeley," she argued.

"It's a compromise in that I won't call you Bones when we're alone. Take it or leave it, _Temperance_," he said, grinning.

"You know, you haven't said you love me," she pointed out.

His smile faded, replaced with a look of tenderness. "I love you," he murmured, pressing another kiss to her lips. "Wanna go back inside?" he asked softly.

She thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I'm not in the mood. Walk with me?" she invited.

"Anywhere," he said, draping an arm over her shoulders. She put her arm around his waist and they turned towards the parking lot, walking slowly.


End file.
